Boarding & Day

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Dunhurst boarding provides a home from home; ‘Nice Tea’ for boarders and their families at drop-off on Sundays sets the tone for the rest of the week.

We understand that boarding may be rather daunting at first. This is why at Dunhurst we offer flexi-boarding. Pupils can opt for however many nights they like – so it becomes more like a sleepover with friends.

Pupils experience the perfect mix of enjoying boarding life during the week, then returning home if they wish at the weekends or remaining at school to enjoy activities and day trips with friends and Housestaff. We organise Friday night events, and trips and activities also take place during weekends. On Wednesdays, Blocks’ pupils are able to visit Petersfield in small groups, a particular highlight for boarders.

Living in the distinctive Dunhurst community helps develop pupils’ self-confidence and respect for others.

For Day students in Years 4, 5 and 6, the academic day ends at 3.50pm but most students take part in activities which end at 5.30pm. For Years 7 and 8 (Blocks 1 and 2), the academic day ends at 5.30pm with activities ending at 7.30pm.

We also offer flexible boarding to accommodate the varying needs of all our families. Find out more about boarding at Dunhurst below and view the Dunhurst prospectus here.

Boarding overview

At Dunhurst we aim to provide flexible boarding opportunities for our pupils, support family life and provide a home from home for the children. To live together and learn from each other has always been a cherished part of our communal boarding life and is central to our strong tradition of fostering friendships across year groups. Boarding enables a pupil to feel fully immersed in the life of the Dunhurst community.

Boarding

The house team see the boarders as part of a family with an engaging and homely environment at its heart. There is a varied and wide range of activities on offer and also time to socialise, rest and relax. Activities such as cooking a meal together, outdoor play, sport and creative hobbies are central to making boarding life enriching.

Returning home at weekends

Pupils can be picked up directly from Dunhurst but we also offer a special train service to Waterloo. Pupils are accompanied by a member of staff to Waterloo Station and parents collect their child at the agreed meeting point. There is a return journey from Waterloo to Petersfield (again accompanied by a member of staff) on the Sunday night. This is a very popular arrangement for those pupils whose parents live in London and avoids unnecessary car journeys.

Half Boarding

Half boarding consists of a package of three nights boarding. Half boarding has priority of booking over flexi boarding.

Flexi Boarding

Flexi boarding enables pupils to be involved in the boarding community and experience life away from home in an environment they are comfortable and familiar with. Pupils may stay for one night or more but arrangements can be changed (according to availability) on a weekly basis according to need. We aim to support our pupils through their school week and the demands of the busy lives our parents lead.